The Conservationist

Heritage Conservation is defined by the Canadian Encyclopaedia as “the identification, protection and promotion of things that are important to our culture and history.”

Ella May Walker was one of Edmonton's pioneers in heritage conservation and, in the language of the day, was a preservationist. She served on the Archives and Landmarks Committee from its creation in 1947 until 1953.

While today trees are often given heritage value, in the 1940s and 1950s much of the emphasis was on architecture. As a result, it was a rather progressive move when the Archives & Landmarks Committee identified several trees as historically significant.